Operation Christmas Child
Operation Christmas Child
Volunteers pack shoeboxes for children in impoverished countries
Pictured: Kathy Elser (left) and daughter Rachel (right) with Sonya Mickens, the care coordinator at Creekside Chapel where they are collecting shoeboxes.
Imagine being the person to give a little girl or boy their first gift … ever. Now, imagine that this child is someone you’ve never met, who lives on the other side of the world in a country devastated by war, natural disasters, famine or disease. Suddenly, that small gift is not just the thing itself: it is hope - one of the most precious gifts of all!
Every November, international relief organization Samaritan’s Purse kicks off its Operation Christmas Child project, which invites people from all over the country to fill a shoebox with toys, hygiene items, school supplies, clothing, and other necessities for boys and girls who live in impoverished countries all over the world. This week is National Collection Week, and it’s not too late to put together a shoebox or two to drop off at one of six locations near Ellicottville.
About 25 years ago, Allegany residents Kathy Elser and her daughter, Rachel, began participating in this project. “Someone gave me a brochure about it, and we got started by filling four boxes,” Elser recalled. “This year, we packed 120! This is something we love to do and look forward to every year.”
Operation Christmas Child is volunteer-run, from start to finish. From putting together shoeboxes, to collecting them at drop-off sites, to processing them at five large plants across the U.S., volunteers are responsible for inspecting boxes, making sure all gifts are age-appropriate and culturally acceptable, and getting them packed into shipping containers for boats and ships bound for over 100 countries. “These are war-torn, impoverished countries - countries that are still not really known and are very isolated,” Elser explained. “It is a humanitarian effort, and it is a Christian effort. To me, I always felt that we’re giving children hope; we’re opening doors. This lets these children know that people love them, and Jesus Christ loves them.”
Samaritan’s Purse, which is based in Boone, North Carolina, is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1970 by Franklin Graham, son of internationally-known evangelist Billy Graham. Operation Christmas Child is one of Samaritan’s Purse’s largest ministries, though all are welcome to participate, regardless of religious affiliation. “There are a lot of local groups who participate,” Elser explained. “Civic clubs, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H … It’s just a really meaningful project that anyone can get involved with.”
To get started, Elser recommends people visit https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/, where they can see suggestions for packing shoeboxes. Boy and girl age groups include 2-4, 5-9 and 10-14. Ideas for items include combs, toothbrushes, washcloths, bandages, stuffed animals, toy dinosaurs or cars, an outfit, sandals, hats, mittens, pencils, crayons, coloring books and more. Liquids, foods, and toys depicting violence (toy soldiers, toy weapons, etc.) are not allowed, and Elser added that in many countries Barbie dolls are not allowed due to cultural mores. On the website, individuals can find and print labels for their boxes and for $9, pay for shipping and receive tracking information to find out where their box(es) end up!
Elser said, “Now, we gather items and pack shoeboxes year ‘round! We’ll find that people drop off items on our porch, and even different companies like Perkins and Friendly’s save the unopened crayons for us. Other crayons that have been used, Rachel melts into molds for shaped crayons. Hotels give us cases of soap, and we make things, too. My daughter is very crafty. She makes jump ropes out of old discarded t-shirts, and she makes different kinds of dolls.”
No time or materials to put a box together? Unable to leave the house to shop? No problem! You can visit the website https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/buildonline/ and “build a shoebox” online for $25.
Elser and many others have discovered that this project is not always a one-way communication. “We’ve gotten letters back from children over the years, at least a dozen,” she said. “One little boy, seven or eight years old, wrote to me about his family. His mother worked in the church and cleans it as her job, and he talked about his brothers and sisters. He told me about his dad, who had been killed in the genocide. The stories of these children are just unbelievable.”
From now until Monday, Nov. 22nd, national collection sites are open. Creekside Chapel at 2523 Five Mile Road in Allegany is one of these locations, along with Olean First Baptist Church at 133 S. Union St. in Olean, House of Prayer at 122 Highland Avenue in Salamanca, Odosagish Bible Conference at 3204 Hazelmere Ave. in Machias, Gowanda Assembly of God at 78 Allen St. in Gowanda, and First Baptist Church at 71 Congress St. in Bradford, PA. Visit https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/drop-off-locations/ for hours at each drop-off site or to find a site near you.